The bill seeks to amend "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" by providing direct state funding for educational programs and expenses, including special education, career and technical education, pre-kindergarten access, and transportation costs. It introduces the Central Falls, Davies, and the Met Center Stabilization Fund to support students in those areas. The bill outlines the allocation of funds, the regionalization bonus for public school districts that regionalize, and additional support for English learners with a fifteen percent EL factor applied to the core-instruction per-pupil amount.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that every K-12 public school employ at least one full-time social worker for every 250 students, defining the qualifications for such social workers. To facilitate this, the general assembly is expected to appropriate an additional two million dollars for the fiscal year 2025 to help school districts or municipalities hire the required social workers. The act will take effect immediately upon passage, indicating the urgency of implementing these provisions.

Statutes affected:
2597: 16-7.2-6